Cosmetics have been used since early times to beautify the skin and hair. The manufacture of cosmetics is a 20th century development under the influence of Hollywood in the 1920's coupled with the development of mass production and mass marketing techniques. As a consequence, cosmetics were offered to the public at cheap prices. As one can ascertain, the cosmetic industry today is huge, and there are a tremendous number of products utilized.
While most cosmetics are relatively simple, they contain many ingredients which are employed to formulate the various cosmetic preparations. Essentially, a cosmetic chemist employs a variety of materials which are often based on emulsified mixtures of oils, water-in-oil or oil-in-water, anhydrous ointments, water pigments, talcs and so on.
Manufacturing processes of cosmetics can normally be divided into three main categories, including lipsticks and related stick-type products such as eyeliner and eyeshadow pencils, creams and lotions, and compressed powders such as, for example, cake makeup. This application primarily relates to lipstick products and, to related stick-type cosmetic products. However, it is also readily applicable to other cosmetic products as well.
Over the years, conventional lipsticks have essentially been composed of hydrocarbonous compositions having oil-wax bases combined with colorants, fragrant components, and various other additives. The presence of the oil-wax base gives the lipstick compositions such stability or stiffness that they can be molded into desired configurations, while remaining soft enough to be readily applicable to the skin.
In general, commercially available lipstick products have proven widely successful. However, a considerable portion of many of these commercialized products have presented particular problems such as structural instability, less than desired lubricity, poor moisture resistance, and relatively short storageability. Various manufacturing techniques, particularly modification of the respective lipstick formulations, have been employed to overcome the afore-mentioned shortcomings. Many of these techniques apply to cosmetic products, in general.
Among the techniques which have been proposed to improve cosmetic products are included the addition of binders such as that in Arraudeau, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,562. The foregoing reference teaches the use of a binding agent comprised of co-pulverized finely divided fibers of polyethylene and silica. The resultant copulverized mixture of defibrillated polyethylene and silica of which the particle size has been reduced is admixed with a cosmetic make-up composition.
Still other prior art such as Boulogne, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,367,220 teaches the use of a liposoluble polymer having vinyl ester units therein, in combination with 1-docosanoyloxy-3 (2-ethyl)-hexyloxy-2-propanol and a 2-(lanolin alcohol derivative substituted) 1-decanylpolyethanol and a non-toxic coloring material to prepare a lipstick composition.
Jennings et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,699,780 teaches the use of a polymeric resin derived from an isomeric or silicalkylene monomer and polyalkylalkane or a polyhydroxyalkane and a polysiloxane to prepare a cosmetic composition.
Takema et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,441 teaches the use of a polyvinylalcohol and an alkylvinylether copolymer in a film forming cosmetic composition.